The RHS intends to restore the historic grounds of Worsley New Hall, turning the 156-acre landscape into a destination garden that will welcome one million visitors per year within a decade of opening.

RHS Garden Bridgewater will open in 2019 and is part of the Society’s 10-year ‘RHS Vision’ that will see £100million invested into horticulture.

Unveiling the plans at the RHS London Shades of Autumn Flower Show last month [October 2015] , RHS director-general Sue Biggs said: “This is truly life changing for the Society and for horticulture. It is amazing: an undeveloped canvas at the moment.”

She later added: “With its beautiful landscapes, good public transport links and outstanding location, Worsley New Hall was an opportunity we couldn’t miss.”

Bridgewater will join the RHS’s four flagship gardens: Wisley in Surrey, Rosemoor in Devon, Hyde Hall in Essex and Harlow Carr in Yorkshire.

A masterplan will be developed for Bridgewater.

Key features include the restoration of a 10-acre walled kitchen garden. A tree-lined approach and terraces will be brought back to life, too.

The site forms part of the 3rd Duke of Bridgewater’s estate and adjoins the Bridgewater Canal.

The deal is a result of collaboration between the owners of the estate, Peel Land and Property, Salford City Council and the RHS.